Talons blow lead, lose 10th straight

Talons receiver Clinton Solomon (left), who had a team-high 53 receiving yards, loses his helmet after being hit by Cleveland's Dominic Jones during Saturday's game at the Alamodome.

Photo By San Antonio Express-News

Defender Dominic Jones (2) of the Cleveland Gladiators unsuccessfully attempts to intercept a pass meant for receiver Robert Quiroga of the San Antonio Talons during Arena Football League action in the Alamodome on Saturday, July 12, 2014.

Photo By San Antonio Express-News

Receiver Clinton Solomon of the San Antonio Talons runs for yardage as LaRoche Jackson (3) and Marrio Norman of the Cleveland Gladiators defend during Arena Football League action in the Alamodome on Saturday, July 12, 2014.

SAN ANTONIO — With the exception of the visiting team, it was silent inside the Alamodome on Saturday night.

Seconds earlier, it was a ruckus, as Talons fans roared their loudest in an attempt to distract Cleveland Gladiators kicker Aaron Pettrey before he broke their hearts in a 50-47, comeback overtime victory in the Talons' last home game of the year.

With the Talons clinging to an eight-point lead with 38 seconds remaining in regulation, Gladiators quarterback Shane Austin led a five-play, 36-yard drive capped by a 5-yard strike in the corner of the end zone to Dominick Goodman as time expired. Cleveland converted the 2-point try to send the game into the extra session.

After winning the coin toss, Bassuener's pass on fourth down was intercepted and taken inside the Talons' 4-yard line before the kick sealed a franchise-worst 10th straight loss for the Talons (1-15).

“We were trying to give this one to our fans,” said defensive back Leroy Vann, who had a 46-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. “They've been coming here all year supporting us. We just failed on a couple of mistakes. It was the difference that played into the outcome.”

Bassuener threw two clutch touchdowns in the fourth that gave the Talons a 15-point lead. Austin countered with a 3-yard sneak and 21-yard score to Collin Taylor before his game-tying one that helped propel his team to its 15th win of the season.

Talons receiver Clinton Solomon hauled in a team-high 53 yards but was unable to give his team a bigger lead after he dropped a touchdown in the end zone. The score would have given the Talons a two-score lead with less than a minute left in regulation.

“We fought as a team,” Solomon said. “That's a good opponent right there, and you have to play the whole game if you want to come away with a win. It happens.”

Fullback Mykel Benson's 11-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter broke the Talons' single-season mark with his 15th score.

The Talons close out the season on the road at Los Angeles on Saturday and at New Orleans on July 26th.